Hymns of Harmony: Song of a Banished Beauty
- Poetry of Liu Fangping
At dusk in the palace, from the emperor parted,
Deep chambers, moon like frost, chill-hearted.
Sorrow fills the Long Faith Palace's space,
While fireflies toward the Sunlit Palace race.
Dew-drenched red orchids wither and die,
Autumn withers jade trees with a sigh.
Only the joy-union fan remains,
Hidden in its case from now on, in chains.
"Song of Harmony" is an ancient Yuefu title dating back to the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods, often used to express the sorrows of palace life. Liu Fangping lived during the Dali and Guangde eras of Emperor Daizong of Tang—a time of eunuch dominance, regional warlordism, and widespread frustration among court officials and scholars. This poem continues the tradition of "palace grievance poetry," adopting a persona to voice the loneliness and despair of a neglected palace lady. "Jieyu" (婕妤) was originally a rank for imperial consorts during the Han Dynasty; Tang poets often used it to represent secluded and discontented palace women. Through the voice of a Jieyu, the poet depicts not only the desolate isolation within the cold palace but also reflects the Tang scholars’ own experience of unrecognized talent and suppressed anguish.
夕殿别君王，宫深月似霜。
人愁在长信，萤出向昭阳。
露裛红兰死，秋凋碧树伤。
惟当合欢扇，从此箧中藏。
- Why Chinese poems is so special?
- The most distinctive features of Chinese poetry are: concision- many poems are only four lines, and few are much longer than eight; ambiguity- number, tense and parts of speech are often undetermined, creating particularly rich interpretative possibilities; and structure- most poems follow quite strict formal patterns which have beauty in themselves as well as highlighting meaningful contrasts.
- How to read a Chinese poem?
- Like an English poem, but more so. Everything is there for a reason, so try to find that reason. Think about all the possible connotations, and be aware of the different possibilities of number and tense. Look for contrasts: within lines, between the lines of each couplet and between successive couplets. Above all, don't worry about what the poet meant- find your meaning.